Will the states unplug the NSA?

There seems to be a new NSA revelation every week, and in Washington State, Republican State Representative David Taylor has had enough.

“If the federal government is going to fail to act to protect our citizens rights, then it is up to the state to take action,” says Taylor.

He’s joined a Democrat in proposing what he’s calling the Fourth Amendment Protection Act, and it would prohibit the state from cooperating in any way with the NSA. That means, among other things, refusing the use of any state services, including electricity and water provided by state public utilities.

Other states have passed anti-NSA legislation, but Washington State would be the first to do it with an NSA installation within its borders. In fact, it’s in Taylor’s district, at the Military Training Center in Yakima.

But is he seriously going try to cut off the electricity to their computers?

“They have standalone power for the most part is my understanding, but ultimately if the bill were to pass as it’s written right now, absolutely,” says Taylor. “At what point are we as a society going to continue to allow unwarranted surveillance in violation of our citizens constitutional rights without taking action?”

The NSA insists it’s just trying to protect us from terrorists. But it came out that last November, the State Patrol shared data on an anarchist rally at the state capitol called the Million Mask March to protest NSA snooping, and to Rep Taylor:

“That’s unconscionable. An opportunity for a group to express themselves at our state capitol, they shouldn’t be worried about the government spying on them.”